When Rose Met Sera
by PriestessAmy
Summary: In 2004, James Amber is shot dead for putting Damon Merrick in prison. Shortly after his funeral, Rose is approached by her daughter's birth mother Sera, who just wants to see her daughter again. Against her husband's wishes, she agrees to let the woman into their lives. A prequel to Rachel is Here. [No option to add Rose under characters, sorry for that]
1. 2004-2005

_Rachel was ten._

James had an incredibly successful streak of putting people away in prison. Unfortunately, his biggest success – Damon Merrick – also ended up being his undoing. Only a few weeks later, an unknown guy came wandering into his office and shot him in cold blood. Naturally, he was captured instantly, but the damage was done and the message was sent. Don't mess with Damon Merrick.

The justice system came through, and he was squarely blamed for the murder and given a second life sentence. Rose was at least able to breathe a sigh of relief about that. But it would never bring James back. And now she was a single mother of a girl that wasn't even technically hers. She loved Rachel with all her heart, but Rose didn't feel confident that she could raise the girl on her own. She didn't even know how all the legal matters were supposed to iron out.

The funeral was quite the impressive affair. For every enemy James had made, he had another ten allies. Politicians and soldiers and cops and various other civil servants were everywhere in the church. The pastor was listing his many accomplishments as she and Rachel sat there at the front of everyone soaking it all in. She found that she wasn't even crying a lot since she had already done a great deal of that in the preceding days. Mostly she just felt dead to the world.

At the end, there was a reception in the basement of the church where everyone could come up and offer their condolences. That was when it happened. A woman approached her, tattooed and looking a bit worn out, shaking her hand softly. She didn't say anything, but she could see Rachel's features in her face so easily that she knew in an instant who she was. But she walked away again before Rose had a chance to say anything to her.

She wasn't the only one to notice. As they left the church, she felt Rachel gently squeeze her hand while they walked out to the car. The girl looked up at her with that almost perpetual curiosity in her eyes. "Who was that weird lady? She had so many tattoos."

Rose opted to keep it honest but evasive. "I didn't get her name. Maybe she was a friend from school?" Of course some part of her wanted to tell Rachel the full truth, go find her, let them meet up. But she also knew the story from James' side and it was... frankly, ugly. What if she was still on drugs? What if she tried to take Rachel away from her? Rose wasn't certain she could handle another loss so soon.

* * *

In the end, she didn't have long to wait. The following Monday, Sera was working around the house while her daughter was at school. The doorbell rang, and she was more than a little surprised to open the door and see Sera standing there on the other side. The only comfort she had in that moment of intense surprise was that Sera looked fully aware of the fact that she might not be welcome here. Her hands were clutched together in front of her, showing that she came bearing a gift of flowers, at least. "Rose? I was... wondering if we could talk for a while?"

She wasn't a strong woman, and it wasn't as if Rose would have been able to just kick Sera to the curb anyway. But admittedly she was pretty curious to find out what the woman wanted. She stepped aside so that Sera could enter, graciously taking the flowers from her. After some hunting, she managed to find a vase, filling it with water, snipping the stems from them before dropping them in. With the vase settled next to a few others she had gotten.

The two women sat down in the living room, fumbling their way through quite the awkward silence. Finally Rose realized that, as the host, it was up to her to get the ball rolling. She cleared her throat and glanced nervously at her guest. "So. You said there was something you wanted to talk about?"

"Yes." Sera suddenly sat up, fiddling with her hands in her lap. "Yes, and frankly I can't believe how shitty... s-sorry, how terrible... my timing is. I've been in town for almost a month now. I managed to get a job, though I've been kinda... couch surfing and... W-Well, anyway, I saw the news and had to go to the service. But the truth is that I'd been tryin' to work up the nerve to approach you all about letting me see Rachel again. Of course, I'm sure you might need some time to think about it, but I just wanted to make sure I at least asked."

Rose honestly had no clue what to say. James had made his thoughts about this issue quite clear. In his mind, no matter what the woman did to atone, he would never be able to see past what she had already done. At the time, it seemed reasonable to Rose that perhaps Sera should be kept away from their daughter. But now James wasn't here, and Sera was, and she was forced to look at the mother of her daughter and reach a decision on her own.

There was something damn near paralyzing about that phrase, 'on her own'. This really was it, this was her life now, a widow with a daughter that was only hers by choice. How in the world could she possibly tell that girl's mother that she had no right to see her? But by that same measure, if it was just her, then she had to learn how to make calls and keep her spine solid. The pieces began to slowly click together in her head. "I'll make you a deal. The simple fact of the matter is that I'm going to need help around here. You... said you've been crashing with people, and... well, we do have a room. But I mean it, if you want to be Rachel's mother, then I'll be expecting you to act like it. Being involved in her life, helping her through things, all of it."

Rose was preparing herself for resistance, so surprised her when Sera just started to laugh in a low, throaty way. "Hm, not what I was expecting. But honestly, I couldn't ask for a better offer. And that's all I ask, a chance to prove myself and get to know my daughter. I ain't afraid of a little hard work either. I swear, you won't regret this." She certainly hoped so.

After a moment's contemplation, she opted to extend the olive branch a little closer. "Do you... would you like to meet her when she gets home from school? It might be difficult, telling her the truth." Rose instantly wished she hadn't phrased it that way, because Sera looked crushed.

"You never told her?" She scoffed and stood up from her chair, moving toward the back door of the house. "Dammit, James..." The words were soft, as though she were suddenly having a side conversation with the man's spirit or something. "I still want to meet her, of course I do. I just... I need a second. Is it okay if I take a smoke break out back?"

Biting back the urge to give a firm no, Rose just nodded her head. Tattoos, smoking, an attitude she was just barely managing to suppress... She had no clue why she had to go and give such a massive open door to Sera, but it was done and there was no taking that back. Granted, she hadn't seen her with Rachel yet, but if past behavior was anything to go by, then this could very well be a huge disaster.

Once the sliding door shut, a sigh of relief rushed out of her and Rose moved hurriedly to the kitchen to busy herself with something inane. Her mind whirled away as her hands worked, trying to correlate all of this. She was welcoming this woman into her home – or rather, James' home, against his wishes. The true mother of her husband's child. A tattooed smoker with some slightly strange mannerisms. But... well, Rose needed help. There was nothing else to it.

It wasn't until the door shut again and Sera was standing there with her that Rose even thought to examine what her hands were doing. "Baking something?"

Sure enough, she was working on putting together various ingredients into a bowl – egg, milk, vanilla, chocolate chips, etc. "Oh, um... cookies. I thought... you know, if the house smelled nice and Rachel had something delicious to eat, it might make the conversation a little easier."

Sera's hand suddenly grasped her wrist, just as she was about to tip in the measuring cup of sugar. "That's how much you're putting in?"

That simple question wasn't quite enough to gauge whether she thought it was too much or not enough, but Rose was fairly certain she was doing this correctly. So she just gave a dumb nod of her head. "That was the plan."

"Rose. She's a _kid_. Whose _father_ just _died_. And we're preparing to tell her that I'm her real mother. She doesn't want cookies with a reasonable, responsible amount of sugar in them. She wants moist, fluffy cookies that taste like heaven. Even if they're a little unhealthy. Ya know?"

Finally, she released her hold and the two stared at one another for a moment or two. Rose wasn't fond of the paranoid idea creeping up in her mind, telling her that Sera was planning on taking over, bullying her into letting her smoke outside and putting extra sugar in the cookies. But then she remembered that this was an insane theory to cook up and relented. She dumped the sugar, then added another scoop before moving on to the next ingredient.

* * *

Naturally, Rachel was confused to walk into the house and see her mother and that 'weird lady' with a plate of cookies. "Sweetie, please come over here. There's someone I'd like you to meet."

She dutifully crossed her way over to the living room and sat down across from them. Her hand immediately went for the cookies, and she paused for a second as if waiting to be told to stop, then hurried to stuff it in her mouth. "Um, so... what's up?" she mumbled through the chewing.

Admittedly, Rose wasn't really sure what to say, but Sera had assured her that she would be able to take care of this. It was 'the least she could do' for inserting herself in their lives. As promised, Sera got up and went over to where Rachel was seated, kneeling in front of her. "Hey there, kiddo. Your mom's told me all about you. I'm Sera, I... ah... well, I'm the woman who gave birth to you."

Rachel didn't look nearly as shocked as either of them had expected. "Uh, sweetie? Are you alright? Do you need a moment?" Rose said softly with her head cocked.

"Yeah, just..." she shook her head with a tiny nervous laugh. "I sorta thought it might be true. But meeting you for real is weird."

"You were expecting this?"

Sera looked back at her, laughing as well now. "Hey, you're the one who told me she was sharp."

"Well! I-It was when we were learning about peanut squares in science class..."

"Punnett squares, dear."

"Right! And it made me think about you and dad and how you both have brown hair. And it reminded me of my friend Susie cuz her parents are both super ginger but she's adopted so she's got dark black hair? And I thought that maybe I might be adopted too."

Finally even Rose was starting to laugh softly, though she did attempt to hide her amusement with her hand over her mouth. "Well, you were half-right at least, and that's still pretty impressive even for an adult!"

Sera gave the girl a winning smile as she popped up to sit next to her on the couch, grabbing one of the cookies for herself. "James was your real dad, one hundred percent."

Her daughter's face fell as the cogs in her head began turning once again. She really could be too quick for her own good sometimes. "So... you left? Can I ask what happened?"

"Of course you can ask," she confirmed for her, before Rachel got too worried. "After you were born, I remember looking down at you and... and you were just so beautiful and amazing. In that moment, I was so scared, because I knew you were meant for good things, big things. And I was so scared that I would screw that up for you. And I got really really sad. So I told your dad that I needed to go away so I didn't accidentally make your life bad, and that he needed to marry someone who could teach you to be an awesome woman. And he did just that..." That was as close to the truth as one could get without entering 'childhood scarring information' territory. But it was obvious that the most honest parts of the explanation were hitting Sera pretty hard, even after all these years. Her eyes were more glazed now, shimmering slightly. Even Rose couldn't help but sniffle just a little.

"But now, even _I'm_ getting a little bit nervous about taking care of you. And since Sera wants to be closer to you, I thought it might be nice for her to stay with us for a while. How does that sound?" Granted, the decision was technically made without Rachel. But it still felt like the right thing to do, to ask her how she felt.

Rachel looked up at the woman who actually birthed her, then across the room at the woman who had been her mother for so long, then back and forth a few more times before breaking out in a big smile. "I think... that would be nice."


	2. 2005-2006

_Rachel was eleven._

Rose was enjoying the view from the new back porch, sitting and looking up at the night sky. The sound of the back door alerted her to Sera's return. She set down a glass of wine for her, then joined her with a beer for herself. Over time, Rose had learned to understand the fact that Sera needed her own small vices. As counter-intuitive as it seemed, they were a part of her sobriety, small steps that kept her sane.

"Our daughter finally accepted defeat and agreed to go to bed." Our daughter. It was such a strange concept, but it wasn't like it was inaccurate. "Back in the day, you used summer as an excuse to go run around the neighborhood and raise hell. But Rachel was in there reading up a storm. Ugh, you made my baby girl into a total nerd." She chuckled and tipped her bottle back, taking a generous sip.

Rose joined her in laughter. To think, when they first met, this would have felt like an insult. But she was learning to read Sera a bit better by now and she knew this was just her way of showing fondness. "Oh come on now. This is the same girl who also makes friends with everyone in her class, and wants to be a big star when she grows up. The fact that she's also studious is a good thing!"

"I'm just fuc- Hah, sorry, still working on that. I'm just messing with you. You know me, I'm... obnoxiously proud of her. I stand by what I said. She's gonna be amazing." She held out her beer bottle, and after a moment of confusion, Rose caught on and gently clinked her wine glass against it in a little toast.

After all, it had been a big summer. Shortly after Rachel's birthday, the strange little family moved into their new home. For Rose, the old house had been too big and too filled with memories. And, frankly, too expensive. James had left them money, but not an infinite amount. It made sense to make a change, even if it was also frightening to co-own a house with Sera. But in that moment, sitting out on the porch, drinking together, it felt like the right thing for all of them. "Yes... She really is." She drank her wine and resumed staring at the sky, though in her peripheral vision, she could feel that Sera was still glancing in her direction.

"I know I kinda made it sound like I wasn't going to be around forever. But... I'm happy that we did this. Just a few weeks in, I was so in love with her, I wasn't sure I would ever be able to leave."

Rose quickly drained the last of her wine, still staring hard at the stars. This was not something she was proud of, even if she actually did make what she felt was the right choice. That didn't make it any easier. "That actually brings up something I wanted to tell you... James... had always maintained that it would be best if you... didn't see Rachel. It was easier to just agree with him since I didn't have much room to argue the point. But when I met you in person, it wasn't nearly so easy. And... And I just wanted to say how nice it's been, and how glad I am that I made my own decision. You've been such a big help around here. I felt like... you ought to know that."

Finally, Rose forced herself to actually look back at her. She was, surprisingly, smiling. Quite brightly. "Us gals gotta stick together, eh? I'm glad you did too."

After that very brief heart to heart, they enjoyed a delicate silence together, just appreciating the scenery around their new home. This bizarre new life she shared with Sera. Being Rachel's 'moms' had put them in a handful of awkward situations, and Rose still hadn't gotten used to being called 'brave' or 'sinners' depending on who was commenting on them. There was no easy way to quickly explain their situation. But worse than all that social awkwardness, it was the way those interactions put strange thoughts into her heart. And sitting here having a moment with the mother of her child, they were bubbling up again. "It's strange. It makes me feel weak-willed and thick-skinned at the same time. Like I'm dishonoring his memory even as I'm figuring out how to make my own decisions..."

Sera seemed to give the question some serious thought before shrugging and putting down her empty bottle. "James was always a... headstrong guy. If he was anything like when we were kids, he saw morality as pretty absolute. The fact that you married him says you saw something admirable in that. But in the end, you decided that following your heart was more important and you made the call. I think that's pretty badass, personally."

Like a schoolgirl, Rose's cheeks began to turn pink, and she was grateful for the darkness of the late hour hiding it. "I do believe that's the first time in my life anyone has ever referred to me as... 'badass'. Thank you."

With a yawn, Sera got up and stretched before gathering up the empty bottle and wine glass. "Time for me to turn in. Domestic life has got me all normal and boring. It's tragic really. Good night."

"Night..." Rose called back softly. She opted to stay where she was, star-gazing a little while longer. She needed the space, to think, just a bit more.

* * *

One year. It had been one year since James' death. The women had a rather slow and somber Saturday with Rachel. They spent all morning preparing a large breakfast, his favorite meal, enjoying bacon and pancakes and eggs and all kinds of extra goodies. Rachel even agreed to a cup of coffee, though she also had to dilute it with so much milk that it was almost unrecognizable.

In the afternoon, they went together to the cemetery to lay flowers on his grave, each taking time to say a few words. Even little Rachel opted to say a bit, and while it was not as eloquent, it was still an impressive requiem for a child.

By the time dinner came around, everyone was way too exhausted, mentally and emotionally, to deal with another big meal. Rose put together some sandwiches and they all sat together and ate in silence. They all retired to their own activities, and Rose felt as though the day almost hadn't existed at all. Tomorrow she would wake up and the 'real' Saturday would begin. This was just a liminal, temporal bubble where they could mourn together. But no, tomorrow would be Sunday, and the world would keep right on spinning forever. This entire thing left Rose feeling nostalgic, and she made her way to her bedroom to retrieve an old family photo album.

She settled onto the bed and began flipping through it. She stopped almost instantly on the first image and looked at it longingly. It was their third date, where they had agreed to start seeing each other more officially, and their waiter was more than happy to snap the shot of them. It was just about the time Rose sniffled that she realized she was crying. Awkwardly, she fumbled and scrambled to collect her tissues.

It was a long process getting through the album when each photo required a new session of reminiscing. She was only shaken back to reality by a gentle knock at the door. "Oh, c-come in..."

The door opened and Sera poked her head in, though she didn't immediately enter. "Hey... I just... wanted to check on you." There was no point in trying to hide the tissues or the sappy photography, so Rose just had to sit there rubbing her face in embarrassment. "Um, is there... anything I can do for you? Can I get you something or...?"

Rose finally had the presence of mind to put away the photo album and dump her tissues in the nearby bin. She gave another sniffle and began to laugh anxiously. "Um, I've never really had this kind of experience before but... but I don't know if I'm comfortable being alone tonight..."

Sera just nodded seriously with a little smile. "That makes sense. Honestly, I'm not sure I am either. So... well, my door's open, so feel free to just pop across the hall if you want." Her smile broadened a little more, and Rose could swear that Sera's face actually started to turn a little pink as she left.

At the moment, she couldn't think of anything else she really wanted to take care of. Rose certainly didn't want to go back to looking at pictures any longer. Anything to keep from crying more. So she just got changed into her pajamas and made her way across the hall knocking gently at the door. She could hear Sera laughing softly to herself, muttering "that was fast," before properly opening it. She was already in pajamas as well, and it seemed they were both in the mood to call it an early night. "C'mon."

The main light was off, and the room was lit only by a simple shaded lamp near the bed. Rose realized that she hadn't completely gotten over all of her biases, because she was surprised by just how warm and inviting the space was. She expected it to be rougher, have a harder edge. But everything was quite soft and lovely and Rose didn't need a lot of pushing to slide her way into the bed and under the covers. A chill covered her as Sera slipped in next to her. She hadn't really considered the consequences of her fear of loneliness, the terrifying realization that she was sharing a bed with someone for the first time in a year.

She didn't want to let her mind be tricked or confused by laying near a body, letting her imagination run away into dangerous territory. So she carefully turned over to face her, sure that seeing Sera might keep herself in line, aware that this wasn't a sexual experience, though it was intimate in a very particular way.

That turned out to be a mistake, because looking at a beautiful blonde in low light under warm blankets was a pleasing experience. And it seemed as though Sera noticed, because she lit up in another bright smile and smoothly slid closer. "Is this okay?"

"It isn't... not okay?" she offered uselessly, causing Sera to laugh softly at her (though not in a mean way). Her lips instantly began to form into a slight pout. "I just mean that... I don't really know exactly what I'm... doing now. How long do I mourn? How long do I wait? Should I marry again? Or... what if you do? Who would Rachel even go with?" She stopped herself as she realized that the questions were pouring out too fast to keep up with. She didn't mean to come in here to burden Sera with her anxieties,she just wanted someplace to sleep and not feel so lonely.

For her part, Sera seemed completely unphased by this burst of questions. She just kept right on smiling, reaching up to brush her hair in an attempt to comfort her. "Woah there, it's okay. I've been thinking about a lot of the same stuff. Pretty sure there isn't any kind of right answer. But... I do have some thoughts..."

Rose smiled too, curious now. "Any you'd like to share?"

Sera shuffled close once again, leaving them now just inches apart. "Please, stop me if I start sounding crazy but... well... You and I are already making a go of it, taking care of Rachel together. We're already her 'two moms' and it's not... such a stretch to think we might eventually make the leap to something more. Both for her and for ourselves."All the while as she spoke, Sera continued to shift closer and closer.

As much as it pained her, Rose fought all her instincts and turned her head, causing Sera's lips to brush against her cheek instead. "I-I'm sorry. I've never... This is new to me."

Without missing a beat, Sera started to put a little more space between them. "It's okay, Rose, I'm sorry for pushing my luck there."

"Well, it isn't that I don't want it," she quickly corrected. Although now she sounded desperate and confused – which wasn't inaccurate. "I suppose some of those things have been on my mind too. But I haven't had feelings like this before. And especially to think this might be happening on a day like today feels... feels like a betrayal. A-And what if it doesn't work out? What if we have a big fight and make life for Rachel even more difficult?"

Sera slowly started to stroke her hair again, which didn't hurt. "You are just full of 'what ifs', Rose. And that's normal. But try to push past that fear and really think about James. Call me optimistic, but I think he'd be just as concerned for Rachel's well-being as either of us! He might even support us teaming up." She chuckled softly, and for a moment they just looked at one another. "And while getting closer doesn't have to be the only option, it damn sure feels natural. We've fought before, and we're both still here. Jesus, we bought a house together! I just... and you're so smart, and serene, and so kind. I want to keep being Rachel's mother, and so do you. And I think doing so together is smart."

Now it was Rose's turn to move in a bit closer. Her whole body felt tense and tingly. "What about you? Ah, personally, I mean? Compelling arguments aside."

"I think I'd still like to kiss you, for one thing." Despite that, she wasn't moving, almost as if she was waiting.

Finally, Rose realized she was waiting for her. She was keeping her word, not pushing her luck any further. And while Rose didn't feel any more certain that this would be lead to a happy ending, she made her decision. She was getting better at decision-making. Leaning forward, she pressed her lips against Sera's.


	3. 2006-2007

_Rachel was twelve._

Although Rose had been growing closer to Sera, things hadn't necessarily progressed any further than they did that first night. Not that they were awkward around each other, or had since gotten more distant. But Sera had kept her promise – they were taking it nice and easy.

After a few months, Rose finally realized what it was, much to her amazement. She felt... ready. In all honesty, she had expected it to take a great deal longer than just a few months. And yet, here she was now, contemplating what she would need to do to set a proper mood and tone to make it feel natural. She had a tendency to over-plan everything else, why not this?

The day Rachel came to her, asking if she could spend that Friday night at a friend's house, it took all of Rose's willpower to respond like she normally would. "No important projects you need to be working on?"

Her daughter's eyes rolled almost instantly and she crossed her arms. "One book report due in three weeks and I've already finished reading it. Come ooonnnn, it's the middle of October, there's nothing going on!"

Between her own excitement and Rachel's prodding, it wasn't as if Rose was going to put up much of a fight here. "Okay okay..." She reached out and brushed her daughter's hair with her hand gently. "I know we can't keep you cooped up here all the time. Are you going to need a ride over there or in the morning?"

"Nope!" Amusingly, the girl puffed out her chest, hands on her hips, grinning wide. "She lives super close, so I can just walk over there. I can take care of it myself."

"Yes you can, sweetie. Yes you can."

* * *

Rose lit the candles on the table, then stood back with a satisfied smile. She almost definitely didn't need to go to all this trouble to show her affection, but she felt compelled to nonetheless. Soft lighting, delicious food, a pretty new dress. Hell, she could have worn pajamas and ordered a pizza and Sera would have been equally happy. But she felt compelled to go all-out.

She heard the door open and shut and her heart jumped into her throat. A moment later the other woman walked in, gasping softly. "Woah... Rose, what's the occasion?"

 _Okay, you can do this. It's simple. Just speak your mind._ Approaching slowly, she took Sera's purse from her and set it aside, then grabbed her hands, squeezing softly. "Rachel's spending the night at a friend's house. I thought... maybe we'd take advantage of the empty house, have a romantic evening."

Sera's face exploded in a brilliant smile, tugging Rose in closer and kissing her directly on the mouth. "Look at you! This is amazing..."

Carefully pulling her hands back, she looked toward the kitchen with a soft laugh. "Speaking of which, I should probably go get the food out of the oven before it burns and ruins everything."

While she went and took care of that, Sera followed behind her, leaning up against the counter and gazing around in wonder. "Um, pretty sure literally nothing could ruin this right now, honey. You've done such a good job! It's... perfect." With the gloves on, Rose was able to pull a wonderful-smelling dish from the oven. "...is that blackened tuna?"

Rose turned back to her with a cheery smile, plating up the fish with some broccoli. She was starting to feel truly proud of herself. All that planning was actually paying off. "Your favorite! Would you mind putting these on the table while I get us some wine?" Sera looked genuinely stunned, saying nothing as she took the plates and moved them to the table. Meanwhile, she grabbed a bottle of white wine and swiftly removed the cork, pouring out a healthy portion into two glasses.

Once they were seated together at the table, Sera seemed to find her voice. "Alright, spill, why you winin' and dinin' me, dear?" Her sly smile began to grow ever so slowly. "Not that you aren't a complete sweetheart all day every day, but this is a lot."

"Consider it... a surprise." Rose was doing her best to counter Sera's sass with her own wit. Thankfully, she seemed willing to drop it for the time being and they were able to eat their meal in peace.

* * *

After the food was gone and the dishes were all soaking, the next phase of the evening began. Rose tugged her companion into the living room with the rest of their wine and settled onto the couch with her. "Now, for the movie you won't stop telling me about. Imagine Me and You. I'm telling you now, if it's not as amazing as you say, I'm going to be very grumpy."

Sera just chuckled, that same old throaty laugh you got when you had a rough patch of living. It was a sound that Rose was quickly coming to associate with delight. "You're talking a big game now. Just wait until you're sobbing at the end. I know I will be."

True to her word, the movie was pitch-perfect. The characters were lovable, the sweet scenes were beyond saccharine, the sad scenes were heart-breaking, and Anthony Stewart Head got a monologue toward the end that had poor, drunk Rose weeping like a baby. The wine was soon gone, the movie was over, and after she had wiped her face, she carefully pushed herself up so that she could press a kiss to Sera's lips, this time much longer and more passionate. She had never exactly been the best at 'making out', even when she was a teenager. But Sera really knew what she was doing, and it felt as though she'd learned a lot lately – when to kiss faster, or slower, or when to suck on the lip or even to nibble (though that still felt a bit too bold sometimes).

When they broke the kiss for a moment to catch their breath, Sera reached up and gently wiped at her eye with a little laugh. "Missed one..."

"Ah, so..." Rose cleared her throat, looking away for a moment, trying to summon what little courage she could from her inebriation. "You had me figured out pretty quick, I suppose. But I think I can dispense with the charade now. I've grown to really care about you, Sera, and... And I can't keep making up excuses anymore. I want to spend the night with you."

"We already do that quite regularly, sweetie."

Her face felt hot and she felt herself blushing wildly. "I-I'm positive you know what I mean!"

Any weight this moment used to hold was more or less gone as Sera started to laugh softly, brushing her hair as she so often did. "Yes, I do." Surprisingly, the mood returned almost as quickly as she drew her hand up to her lips and kissed it tenderly. Without another word, Sera pulled her up from the couch and led her to the master bedroom.

* * *

It felt like a cliché, and yet here it was. James had been a wonderful, amazing husband. And Rose had always enjoyed being with him, in every sense. But it had never been like that. Alternately soft and sweet, then hard and primal, then slow and desperate, and everything in-between. That was the trope, wasn't it? Women knew what women needed, right? Well, it was either that, or Sera was just very good. Either way, Rose couldn't remember the last time she had felt this... at peace. Burrowed in a nest of blankets, she could feel the other woman still idly touching and nuzzling her.

"We're going to have to tell Rachel, you know."

Sera snickered and nibbled playfully at her shoulder. "That we had sex? I'm not sure that's any of her business."

Rose shoved her, just as playfully. "Ugh! You're ridiculous..." After a moment passed of the two of them laughing softly, she let herself look her directly in the eye. "...I love you, Sera. I hope that's not too much..."

"Of course not. You're enough. More than enough. Just right. What am I trying to say here? I... I love you too. Fumbling attempts at witty banter aside." She snickered again, burying her face in the pillows for a second. "Do you... want to tell her tomorrow? Together?"

"No, if we try to make a big deal out of it, she might feel awkward. I'm taking her to school on Monday, I can do it then."

Sera nodded, finally extracting herself from her burrow to slide back on top of her, looking a bit hungry again. "Good idea. You're a little better with your words than I am. Now, enough of that responsible stuff, I do believe I want to go another round."

Well, Rose certainly wasn't going to complain about that particular proposition.

* * *

It was easy enough to say that she would take this particular task when she was in the midst of a cozy snuggle session with Sera. It was quite another when she was in the car with Rachel, driving her to school, her heart pounding like a jackhammer. Soft music was playing on the radio and her daughter was staring idly out the passenger window.

She cleared her throat and did her best to just... speak. "Rachel sweetie?"

"What's up, mama?"

This was tough. She gave another quick cough and turned down the next road. "I just wanted to let you know that, ah... your mother and I, we've been getting closer lately. And... well, it wouldn't feel right if we didn't let you know about it."

"Hah, gross." Rose's heart seemed to stop for a split second, and Rachel apparently noticed. Her face dropped and she quickly threw up her hands, shaking her head. "Oh! I mean like... like as a teenager. Like... Like parent romance stuff is supposed to be gross. Not like... I-I obviously... think it's great! Hah, you two haven't exactly hidden it well or anything. Always staring at each other and all. I figured it would happen sooner or later."

Now her heart had gone from skipping a beat to working overtime. "Really? Gosh, now I'm embarrassed to think you might have figured it out before us. You really are too smart for your own good sometimes."

"So when's the wedding?" she asked with a cheeky grin.

Rose came to a short stop outside the school, fully aware that her red face gave away pretty much everything. "Well anyway have a good day at school sweetie don't forget it's spaghetti night tonight I love you!"

* * *

Rose had, perhaps foolishly, assumed that would be the end of dramatics for a while. She should have known better.

That Friday, they were all together, eating pizza because nobody felt like cooking. Rose and Sera were talking about work and school with their daughter, vaguely aware that there seemed to be something weighing on her mind. But since they had just dropped something pretty big on her – even if she had seen it coming – they didn't want to press her too hard.

Luckily, Rachel was a fantastic girl with a strong heart, so she eventually appeared to find the strength within herself to say it of her own volition. She set down the slice she'd been working on and looked back and forth between them. "Hey, um, so... So like obviously all things considered this isn't the hugest deal? And I'm sure some people might say something stupid about it considering my 'home life' or whatever. But... but anyway so now is probably as good a time as any to tell you that uh... I think I might be gay? Or something. I'm not sure. But... the other week at my friend's house, we... We kissed. And it was like nice? And kinda weird? But nice. And I don't know if she felt the way about it that I did and... Ugh, anyway, that's all! I just... wanted you to know..."

Almost moving as one, the two women got up and moved around the table to draw their daughter into a tight hug. "Oh Rachel honey! Just because it's not a huge deal doesn't mean we don't care!"

"Yeah, baby girl. And even if your friend didn't feel the same way, that just means you have to try again."

Rose chuckled softly and kissed the top of her head. "When you're ready."

"Exactly. When you're ready. Also, you be sure to let me know if you need any tips for picking up girls. I obviously know a thing or two about getting a perfect woman."

Rachel groaned dramatically, much to their amusement. "I'm never telling you guys anything ever again..."


	4. 2007-2008

_Rachel was thirteen._

For a time, things were essentially perfect. Rose had forgotten just how much she missed having someone around that she could be close to, and intimate with. It was also becoming clear that finding someone to help raise Rachel was a good plan, because the girl was only getting older and smarter and more adventurous.

But perfection was almost always short-lived for one reason or another. Seemingly out of nowhere, Sera suddenly started taking extra shifts at her job, working late, working extra days. It made no sense – they weren't hurting for money, and they were still early enough in their relationship that Rose kind of hated the idea of being away from the woman for too long.

Rose refused to be too clingy, and so for a time she simply let it be. But that had been almost a month ago and now the true anxiety had begun to set in. It was a fear she hadn't experienced almost since Sera first moved in. That horrible little gremlin in the back of her mind, the one that whispered 'maybe she's getting high'. And no matter how unlikely that seemed to the sensible side of her brain, she couldn't help the way it made her chest go tight. Wasn't that the entire thing with addiction? It was a constant fight.

If that was the case, then she knew what she had to do. Rose was never much for being confrontational, but for the sake of this strange beautiful life she'd built, she would do her best. That night, it was only her and Rachel for dinner, after which she sent the girl up to her room to do her homework. She did her best to wait out the clock – cleaning, reading, pacing. Being left alone with her thoughts only made that damn gremlin return, saying more and more horrible things to her.

As soon as she heard the sound of the doorknob, she walked toward the front door, crossing her arms and taking a deep breath. Once Sera came through the door, a look of mild surprise on her face, she did her best to find her center and simply get right to the point. "We need to talk..."

Her face immediately went from surprise to distress. "Woah. That was an escalation. Uh, y-yeah, just um..." This was a bit new for Rose, so she just stood aside while Sera got out of her jacket and put down her things. Without another word, the two of them walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. Even though she knew it was kind of a cruel thing to do, she left some space between them. "So. What do we need to talk about?"

God, already Rose could feel her resolve flagging somewhat. This was the beautiful woman she had been going to bed with every night for quite some time now. She loved her, and the truth was that she didn't feel angry. She felt scared and worried. "I want to know what's going on. No more hiding or skirting the issue. You say you're working all these extra hours, but I don't understand it! We're caught up on all our payments. Rachel didn't ask for anything crazy for Christmas. And... And I miss you. I just want to know why you're always out so long..." She really didn't want to bring up the worst-case scenario unless she absolutely had to. But it was always on her mind.

She was expecting Sera to freeze up, to look like she was trapped. Instead, her whole body relaxed and she got one of her brilliant, shining smiles. "Yeah. Yeah, I really can't pull one over on you for long, can I? Hm... Yeah, and your timing, I mean. Okay, here goes..." Rose could only watch in fascination as Sera stood from the couch and went to her purse, fishing around for a moment. When she returned, she didn't sit, instead getting down on one knee and opening a small box. Inside was a pair of rings, both of them silver with what looked to be maybe lapis lazuli set into them. "Um, I know they're not the most traditional, but I-I think they look better."

As much as she wanted to cut her off and scream 'yes', she couldn't shake the fact that five minutes ago she had been worried about Sera using again. She clamped her hand over her mouth as a sob clawed its way up her throat. Tears began to burn her eyes immediately. Something about the juxtaposition of the situation hurt in a pure, searing way.

The blonde was quick on the uptake, joining her on the couch once again, the box of rings all but forgotten in the moment. "Hey~ Hey, it's okay, whatever it is, you can tell me. If it's too soon, just say the word! I didn't mean to freak you out..."

She shook her head frantically, choking back another sob. "Thuh-That... That's not... Oh, god, Sera, I'm an idiot..."

"You're not. And whoever told you that you are is a damn liar." She carefully took her hand and pried it away from her mouth, releasing her quiet sobs. Then she gently wiped at her eyes with a patient smile. "Now why don't you tell me where you got such an idea."

"I-I-I thought... I thought... I mean, while you were out making extra money to do something so sweet, here I was getting paranoid that you were... that... Y-You were using again..." That caused a pathetic whimper to interrupt her, and Rose was preparing herself to be chewed out. "I'm so sorry. I can't believe that-"

Any further apology was silence with a passionate kiss from Sera, suddenly clinging to her almost desperately. From the anxiety and fear to the stress of confronting the other woman, to the relief of the truth and utter depression of feeling like a monster, Rose felt as though she'd been on a roller coaster. Kissing was something she knew, and before long she was holding onto Sera just as tightly. She completely lost all sense of time or reality.

It was Sera who ended the kiss, though she didn't pull very far away. Her hand came to rest on Rose's cheek, and she gazed into her eyes lovingly. "If you ever start to feel that way again, I want you to be completely honest with me. Immediately. Addiction is no joke, and I won't get lost down in that hole again. I don't want you to ever feel guilty for being worried about me. I know it comes from a place of love. Now..." She reached, fumbling only slightly for the box once again. "...you didn't really let me uh... actually get to the... the thing." With that, she got back down onto her knee, popping open the box once more. "Rose? Will you marry me?"

This time, she didn't miss a beat. "Of course!" They met in another brief kiss, and then Sera carefully slid the ring onto her finger, beaming like the sun. "You should know by now, I couldn't care less about a fancy ring. This is beautiful, a-and you're beautiful, and I'm so happy."

"Mom? Mama? What's going on?" Rachel stepped slowly into the living room, noticing too late that Rose's eyes were a bit red. "Oh god, is everything okay? Don't sugar-coat it! I'll know if you lie..."

That only caused Rose to start laughing, even if she did look like a bit of a mess. She held up her hand to make sure that Rachel could see the new ring. "Everything is wonderful, sweetheart. Your mom here was just proposing to me."

Immediately their daughter cleared the distance between them, gasping with delight, stars in her eyes. "Ahh! Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh! This is so cool! When will you make it official? Will there be a wedding? Can I help pick the dresses?"

"Easy there, firecracker." Sera snickered and tugged the girl onto the couch to sit between them. "We... might not really get to do something with this for a while. The best we can do is keep an eye on California and... and hope for the best. As for an actual wedding, uh... Jeez, I mean I can't even think of all that many people in town I would invite. Probably fewer who might show up."

She pouted, huffing softly. "Well that sucks." After a moment, something seemed to occur to her and she quickly started backpedaling. "Um, the fact that people are judgy. Not the fact that you're not having a wedding. I mean that sucks too. But also the law. And um... Wow. It's kinda scary out there huh?"

Rose exchanged a look with her... well, her fiancee. This was tough, especially with the fact that Rachel had come out to them recently. They wanted to set a good example. They wanted to leave her with some hope. "Yes, a bit. But Martin Luther King Junior once said... that the moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends toward justice."

The poor girl's face contorted just slightly as she pondered that. "Um, you lost me with that one, mama..."

She couldn't help but laugh softly. She knew she probably should have found a better phrase, but that one always had a way of comforting her. "It might take a while, but things will inevitably get better. The younger generation is always a little more generous than the last. It might be tough for us now, but I'm willing to bet that some day you'll be able to get married without any of this chaos."

"Oh. Okay, well good." Rachel reached out and took Rose's hand, idly looking over her new ring. "Mom did a really good job finding this. It's gorgeous."

Looking over at her, Sera seemed to almost be in another world, just watching the two of them peacefully, contentedly. Rose looked into her eyes and smiled wide, forgetting completely that she had ever been upset. "Yeah. She's the best."

* * *

It was one thing to say that patience was a virtue. It was quite another to actually put that into practice. As easy as it technically would have been to just go get married in Massachusetts, Sera had already spent a great deal of time away from home raising money for a pair of reasonably-priced rings. Getting the money together to make a flight out east along with all the other expenses would have put an even greater strain on things. Instead, Rose insisted on keeping a close watch on the sheer insanity happening in California.

Granted, that put its own strain on things. There was hope that the law might go their way, but then it swung back around. For almost five months she was glued to the news. All of the ups and downs. But it was worth it, when May was half-done, and the Supreme Court overturned a ruling, opening the way for all kinds of couples to marry.

When Rose came home, she swept the woman up in her arms gleefully and spun her around. "Woah! I'm guessing this has to do with that minor court case down south..."

"What do you say we go to Los Angeles for Rachel's birthday?" she asked with a large grin.

"Maybe pop in to see a justice of the peace? Ya know, for kicks?"


	5. And Beyond

_Rachel was turning fourteen._

Once Sera had laid out the picnic blanket, Rose set down the cooler and joined her family in settling down. "Well, it might just be a rest-stop, but it's such a lovely day."

Of course, the setting could have been completely perfect, something out of a movie, and this still would have been an incredibly tough experience. Because she and Sera had chosen this moment in the middle of their road trip to explain something to Rachel. Something they had sat on for years. But when the time came, you couldn't ignore it any longer.

For a while they just enjoyed their chips and sandwiches, but Rose could only handle the tension for so long. "Rachel, sweetie, there's something we wanted to talk about before we go to see the justice." She found herself idly fiddling with her sandwich and staring down at her lap. The words refused to come out.

Sera cleared her throat, and Rachel glanced back and forth between the two of them for a moment. "Okay well... I mean, whatever it is, it's fine, right? We're all... together and everything. Girl power. All that."

The two women both broke out in awkward laughter. Rachel's attempt at positivity seemed to be the thing that finally gave Sera the strength to push forward. "When I... When I first joined you two, I told you that I left because I was too sad to take care of you. And that was true. But it's more accurate to say your father _made_ me leave. I fell _hard_ into drug use. And at the time, I would have been a... seriously shitty mom."

Just this once, Rose let the swearing go without mention.

"So... after that, you got better?"

Sera idly tore a chunk of bread off her sandwich, toying with it. "Not... right away. I was already so sad, and that just made me feel worse. I got... I got really bad there for a while. I did rehab, and even then I still had to put my life back together. A-And the only thing that really helped me to get through it was to think about seeing you..." She visibly swallowed back some tears and managed a smile. "These past few years have been truly perfect, but it was important to me you understand exactly how much it means to me to be here right now." She wiped at her eyes, and Rose quickly realized she needed to do the same.

Rachel seemed to be processing all of this information for a long time. They held their breath while waiting to see where she ended up, emotionally. "Mom..." If there was any more to that thought, she didn't bother vocalizing it. Instead, she launched herself at Sera and wrapped her up in a tight hug. "I love you so much. And it's really cool that you told me. It means a lot, ya know?" She gave her one last squeeze before pulling away. "Um, anyway, I guess we should probably get back on the road soon?"

With a soft laugh and a sniffle, Sera reached out and ruffled her hair affectionately. "We should, yeah."

* * *

"Sweetie, slow down!" Rose sighed wistfully and took her daughter's hand, tugging her back in close. "I know LA is an amazing city, but it's also a massive city, and I don't need you running off and getting lost."

The girl rolled her eyes as was demanded of someone in her position. "Mamaaaaa... There's so much cool stuff to do and we don't have forever to do it! Santa Monica! The Chinese Theatre! Rodeo Drive!" She gave a little twirl, and the people walking past all seemed equally bothered by the obvious tourists.

"Well, we can certainly make at least a few of those happen~" Sera mused softly. As they wandered the sidewalk, they passed by a few people selling things out of blankets and boxes for petty cash. Something apparently caught her eye and she stopped in front of one of them. In a swift transaction, she passed them a ten dollar bill, and took down an earring adorned with a beautiful blue feather. "But first things first. To match that dress you brought for the ceremony. And to remember this birthday by." She carefully pinned it in place and stood back to admire her handiwork.

Even Rose had to admit it looked absolutely perfect on the girl. Rachel turned and looked into a nearby window to check her reflection, gasping dramatically. "Mom! This is awesome! I'm wearing this every day forever from now on~"

* * *

A courthouse service wasn't nearly as nice as a proper church wedding. But neither Rose nor Sera were particularly religious. And the number of churches that would marry two women could likely be counted on one hand. Besides, at the end of the day, the venue hardly mattered. Rose was simply excited to make this official. She stood with her bride before the justice, Rachel at their side, as they went through the small formalized ceremony. Again, it wasn't much, but it was enough.

"If the two of you would like to say anything, you may do so now."

They turned to face one another, and for a moment her heart leapt into her throat. While Rose had gone for a tasteful white dress, Sera had insisted on wearing a suit with some black heels. She looked stunning, and her brain momentarily emptied itself.

"Baby, you know I don't like to be too dramatic about things but... Sometimes it feels like you saved me. I don't know what I would have done with myself if I'd been turned away that day. Being a mom again, making a life together, falling in love. You've made me a better person. And I swear I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you."

Rose laughed softly, and she could hear Rachel cooing softly next to her. She did her best to push past the lump in her throat and find the words. "Funny... I was going to say the same thing... I had no clue what to do with myself after James... Well, after everything. And then you wandered in and it seemed so perfect. And I suppose it was. And is. And I look forward to each new perfect day we get to spend together."

All three of them were sniffling softly as the justice resumed the service. "By the power vested in me by the state of California, I now pronounce you wives. You may kiss the bride."

They did so, happily, as Rachel cheered for them. She had tried to bring along flower petals or glitter to throw, but they had shot that idea down quickly.

Chuckling softly, the justice closed his book and smiled at them all warmly. "I've done hundreds of these since May, and they never get old. I hope you enjoy the rest of your stay here in the city." He showed them out, and the three made their way back into the city for a celebratory dinner.

* * *

A low moan worked its way out of Rose's throat. Sera gave a throaty chuckle and pressed another kiss to her neck, right in that sensitive spot. "And you said getting two rooms was a bad idea. Can you imagine if we were sharing a room with Rachel right now, and we had to just lay there and _not_ do this?"

Sera was so much better at all of this stuff than her, and it never failed to make Rose feel a little bit embarrassed. Once upon a time, there had been sexy stuff, and there had been talking, and the two rarely met. But her wife – her wife! – was quite fond of doing all sorts of things in the bedroom during moments of intimacy. It could be a lot to get used to. "You know how I worry..."

"She's not a kid anymore," she reminded her gently, rising back up so they were face to face once more.

"Mmm, that's why I worry..." she quickly replied with a sharp laugh. "I mean, high school and hormones and girlfriends and... Augh, there's a lot still on the way." She glanced down at the ring still on her hand. She felt like she'd been constantly staring at it since the service.

The only thing that could have captured her attention in that moment was Sera lightly gripping her hand and intertwining their fingers together. "Yeah, and you're gonna do amazing. We are. Together. Now, please, I love our daughter just as much as you. But we were somewhat in the middle of something." Sera didn't give her very long to respond properly before shuffling down the bed and dipping between her legs.

Excited as she was for the future, Rose was forced to admit that the present was pretty lovely too.


End file.
